ODESSA, Texas (August 25, 2025) – One year after tying for ninth place in the 2024 Lone Star Conference Preseason Poll and surpassing expectations to tie for sixth place in the actual season, the UT Permian Basin volleyball team was once again selected ninth in the preseason poll for 2025. The Falcons received 542 total points in the preseason poll.

It was an exciting first season for Head Coach CJ Allard with the Falcons, who finished 2024 with a .640 winning percentage (16-9 overall), which is the best winning percentage since the 2019 season, and ended the season on a four-match winning streak, which hasn't been done since the 2015 season. UTPB had a No. 10 ranking in the NCAA South Central Regional Poll and tied for sixth place in the Lone Star Conference at 9-7. The Falcons had the conference's No. 1 defense in respect to opponents' hitting percentage (.153), blocks per set (2.40) and opponents' assists (10.64). UTPB also ranked No. 23 in all of NCAA Division II in blocks per set as a team, was 38th in opponents' hitting percentage, and was 80th in total blocks (221.0). Lastly, During UTPB's 3-0 sweep against Lubbock Christian University on September 20 (Laredo, Texas), the Falcons set a new program record for hitting percentage in a single match at .392 percent on 102 attempts.

UTPB's preseason players to watch included sophomore outside hitter Ashlee Macias, sophomore middle hitter Lauren Demuth, and senior setter Canyen Rodriguez. It is the second straight year being named to the preseason watch list for Rodriguez and is a first such honor for Macias and Demuth after standout freshman seasons a year ago.

Macias played in 19 matches as a true freshman, totaling 102 kills (2.27 K/S) and 89 digs (1.98 D/S) and scoring 121 points (2.69 PTS/S) on the season. She had five matches with double-digit kills, including a season-high 16 kills in back-to-back 3-1 wins over Western New Mexico (Oct. 19) and Sul Ross State (Oct. 26). She also had three doubles-doubles on the year between kills and digs. Macias was named the Lone Star Conference Freshman of the Week for the final week of the regular season and became the first UTPB volleyball player to be named the LSC Freshman of the Week.

Demuth was named to the 2024 LSC All-Freshman Team after starting in 20 of her 23 matches played. She was second on the Falcons with 68.0 blocks (0.97 BLK/S), was fourth with a .239 hitting percentage, and was fifth on the team with 161.5 points (2.31 PTS/S) and 112 kills (1.60 K/S). She had at least three blocks in 15 matches and at least four blocks in 10 matches, and was ranked in the top-10 in the LSC in blocks per set. Demuth recorded a career-high six blocks in a 3-1 win vs. Texas A&M International (Oct. 5) and shined with a career-high 15 kills while hitting .565 percent and leading the team with five blocks in a hard-fought 3-1 defeat against No. 15 nationally-ranked Angelo State (Oct. 23).

Rodriguez ranked second on the team in assists (301) and service aces (18) last season while adding 81 digs. Her 301 assists where at career-high at UTPB as she averaged 4.18 assists per set and had 12 matches with at least 15 assists, including four matches with 20-plus assists. Rodriguez set her career-high in single-match assists at UTPB with 25 assists in a 3-1 win vs. St. Mary's (Nov. 7).

In the preseason poll, defending Lone Star Conference tournament champion and NCAA Division II national semifinalist Angelo State was predicted win the LSC volleyball title. ASU totaled 933 points and collected 30 of the possible 54 first-place votes. The Rambelles went 32-3 overall and 15-1 in league play last season on their way to reaching the Final Four for the first time in program history. The Rambelles, who won the South Central Regional crown, finished ranked No. 4 in the final American Volleyball Coaches Association national poll. ASU has won 12 LSC titles, with the most recent coming in 2021 when it completed a three-peat.

Defending league champion WT is picked as the conference runner-up with 919 points and 18 first-place votes. The Buffs went 26-5 overall and were undefeated in LSC play last season en route to their third straight title. WT has won a record 22 conference championships.

UT Tyler is predicted to finish in third place with 859 points and three first-place votes. The Patriots went 18-9 overall and 14-2 in league play last season.

DBU, which shared the conference title in 2023, is the fourth-place pick with 803 points and two first-place votes. Texas Woman's is fifth with 738 points, followed by St. Mary's (633 points), Oklahoma Christian (616 points) and Lubbock Christian (602 points) to round out what would be the potential eight qualifiers for the LSC tournament.

UT Permian Basin is predicted to finish ninth with 542 points and Texas A&M-Kingsville is 10th with 499 points. Midwestern State (436 points) is the No. 11 spot, followed by Texas A&M International (371 points), St. Edward's (319 points), new league member UT Dallas (272 points), Western New Mexico (265 points), Eastern New Mexico (204 points), Cameron (116 points) and Sul Ross State (107 points). TAMIU picked up the final first-place vote.

The preseason poll and preseason players of the year are voted on by LSC head coaches, sports information directors and media members.

Coach Allard spoke on the preseason poll, "Preseason polls are a blast because they mean the season's commencement is right around the corner, but it's hard to put much stock into the meaning of teams' specific order. We've got 11 new faces in the locker room and there are many other changes within the conference between graduations, transfers, coaching changes, and the addition of UT Dallas. The one thing the Lone Star Conference will guarantee is you'll have to be on your 'A game' day in and day out to find success, and we'll certainly strive for that."

The LSC volleyball season begins as early as September 4. To see the league schedule, click here. The LSC Volleyball Championship will be November 20-22 at the site of the No. 1 seed. LSC volleyball matches can be viewed live on FloCollege.

The Falcons will be on the road when they kick off the season, taking on Adams State University and Southern Nazarene University on Friday, September 5, at the Kathleen Brasfield Invitational. The next day, the Falcons will face No. 23 nationally-ranked Colorado Mesa University and the University of Arkansas at Monticello. All four matches will be hosted by Angelo State University in San Angelo, Texas.